Employers ‘support extending bereavement leave’

Three quarters (75%) of employers support extending paid bereavement leave to close family members, according to research by HR institute the CIPD.

It also found that 80% of employers provide paid bereavement leave for close family members, with the most common length of paid leave being three to five days (40%), followed by one to two days (14%). Just over one in 10 (12%) offer two weeks of paid leave.

Since April 2020, working parents have had a legal right to bereavement leave and pay following the death of a child under the age of 18, but no such right exists for those who lose a close family member.

Claire McCartney, senior policy adviser at the CIPD, commented: “While many organisations provide paid bereavement leave to support employees at one of the most difficult times of their lives, this is far from universal and extending the statutory provision is likely to give employees time and space to grieve rather than worrying about paying their bills and financial worries.”

https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/media/press/030322extending-paid-bereavement-leave